Sound slide film machine



Feb. 16, 1960 R. H. LARSON ETAL SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1957 INVENTORS.

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1960 R. H. LARSON ETAL ,92

SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE Filed March 7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvroggs.

United States Patent SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE Robert H. Larson and Charles W. Carlson, Batavia, and Joost Koenig, St. Charles, Ill., assignors to Du Kane Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 7, 1957, Serial No. 644,633

7 Claims. (Cl. 88-28) This invention relates to a sound slide film machine and more particularly to a compact portable machine which may be used for projecting strip film and for reproducing sound recordings simultaneously. The machine embodying the present invention is simple to manufacture and to operate, is compact and requires a minimum of time and effort to change the machine from its normal shipping condition to a usable condition or. vice versa.

Sound slide film machines are widely used as a selling adjunct. In order to use such machines efi'ectively, it is essential that a minimum of time and effort be necessary to put the machine in readiness for use. Many machines require elaborate preparations for setting the machine into operative condition. Most machines require a screen to be disposed at a distance from the machine and thus require a certain minimum room within which to operate.

The new machine embodying the present invention is completely self-contained and may be disposed upon any support such as a chair or desk. The new machine embodying the present invention requires no more room than would normally be occupied by a person at a desk. It is thus particularly desirable for use by salesmen and others where the display is to be made to one person or a few persons forming a small group.

The new sound slide machine embodying the present invention includes a compact optical system which throws an image upon an easel type screen carried in the case housing the entire mechanism. The invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings showing an exemplary embodiment. Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. V

Figure l is a perspective view of the new sound slide machine in condition for use.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sound slide machine in its container packed for shipping or for carrying. I

Figure 3 is an end view with the cover of the carrying case elevated.

Figure 4 is a view looking down upon the phonograph turntable and mirror with the screen out of the way.

Figure 5 is a perspective detail illustrating the phonograph and the principal portion of the optical system of the new machine.

Figure 5a is a detail of the frame index means forming part of the mechanism shown in Figure 5.

V Figure 6 is an end view of the phonograph illustrating the various guides for insuring the correct positioning of a record.

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the projecting portion of the new machine.

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively side and rear views of the mount for the final reflecting mirror in the projecting system.

Figures 10, 11 and 11A are side, rear and top view:

2,925,009 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 respectively of the mounts for the first two mirrors forming parts of the optical system of the projector.

Figure 12 is a front perspective detail of the electric phonograph.

The new sound slide machine is carried in a case generally indicated by 10, having bottom 11, rear and front walls 12 and 13, top 14 and sides 15 and 16. The carrying case top portion 14 has hingedly attached thereto near the front wall 13 cover portion 18 which extends around toward front wall 13. Hinged cover portion 18 has handle 20 and has suitable hardware 21 for locking the cover to the case proper when carrying the case and contents.

Extending inwardly and upwardly from front wall 13 is operating panel 23. Operating panel 23 has top edge portion 25 stepped to provide a stop for bottom 26 of frame 27 supporting display screen 28. Frame 27 is carried by cover portion 18, frame 27 having mounting portion 30 attached to cover portion 18 by screws 31.

The entire screen and screen support is so disposed in cover portion 18 that when cover portion 18 is flat with carrying case 14, as illustrated in Figure 3, the entire screen and frame are disposed within the inside of top 14. Top 14 is provided with downwardly extending sides 33 for providing the head room when the cover is closed so that the screen and frame are properly accomodated within the cover.

in order to dispose the screen in proper viewing position, cover portion 18 is tilted back from top 14 after the latter has been opened, as seen in Figure 1. Screen 28 and frame 27 are always disposed in the same position with respect to the viewer, bottom portion 26 of the frame cooperating with top edge 25 of the front panel to position the screen.

Immediately behind front panel 23 and to the left as seen in Figure 1, there is disposed a substantial portion of the optical system for the projector. Referring to Figure 5, bottom 11 is provided with grille 35 to insure an adequate flow of air through the bottom wall into the machine. Disposed over grille 35 is housing 36 supporting a projection lamp 38 and heat ray filter and lenses 40 and 41 positioned forwardly of lamp 38. Lamp 38 is preferably provided with reflector 42 to direct light on to lenses 40 and 41. These lenses may be condensers. Housing 36 preferably has opening 44 in the side wall adjacent lamp 38 to permit air to pass through the lamp housing and cool the lenses. The housing is open at the bottom where the lamp is located so air can flow directly past the lamp.

Housing 36 carries film gate 45 adapted to accomodate film strip 46. Housing 36 supports film framing and advancing means having sprockets 48 and 49. Figure 5 shows certain portions of the film framing and advance means exploded. Film framing and advance knob 51 and clutch control button 52 cooperate in conjunction with sprockets 48 and 49 for controlling the film. Clutch control button 52 is connected through a clutch to shaft 53 which extends completely through housing 36 to side wall 16 of the case, the shaft carrying a knob at that end also. This last named knob and knob 51 makes film advance possible from either side of the case. Inasmuch as film framing and film advance means are well known in this art, it is unnecessary to describe the construction in detail.

In general however, member 51 controls a clutch for tion.

the index that film will be advanced by one frame at a time.

Positioned immediately in front of film gate 45 and behind frontpanel 23 is mirrorsupport 53. This consists of a rigid support plate fixedly secured in the case atan appropriate angle to the sides of the case so that the support is positioned approximately as illustrated in Figure 5 Support plate 58 carries mirror support strip 5 9 (F1 gures 10 and 1 1) to which is cemented or'otherwise firmly attached mirror 60.

, 'Support strip 59 is attached to plate 58 by means which provide for a limited universal adjustment. This means may assume any one of a number of forms. As illustrated here in Figures 10, 11 and 11A, two support screws 61 are provided along one center line, here the center of support strip 59. Screws 61 have nuts 61b so disposed that support plate 58 and support strip 59 may be pulled together against the front of strip 61b by drawing up screws 61. Each screw 61 has spring 61a around it between nut 61b and strip 59. 7 It is clear that screws 61 may be independently adjusted so that the mirror is moved about a horizontal axis as seen in Figures 10 and 11. I i, A pair of adjusting screws 62 are provided as illustrated in Figure 11. Screws 62 arelaterally olfset fromthe center line extending betweenscrews 61. It is clear that adjustment of screws 62, the mirrors may be moved with respect to a vertical center line asseen in Figure 11. Disposed to the right of the first mirror and outside of housing 36 is second mirror 66. The second mirror may be mounted in a manner. generally resembling the first mirror and the two mirror supports and mirrors are so secured that a light beam passingthrough the film gate strikes the first mirror and is reflected to the second.

The second mirror is disposed from the first mirror a distance approximately /3 to /2 of the width of the case, this being the dimension between sides and 16. This permits an oif-center location of the film gate and lamp. The light beam from second mirror 66 is reflected to final orthirdmirror 70 mounted upon rear wall 12 of th carrying case.. It is preferred to have third mirror 70 mounted for pniversal movement in all directions through a limited .angle. While any universal mounting may be used, a simple construction is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.. Rear wall 12 is apertured at aportion thereof and has mirror support plate 71 rigidly secured byv screws 72 to wall 12. Plate 71 carries a number of screws 75, shown here as three, going into mirror support block 76. Support block 76 is recessed and accommodates ball bearing .77 which is adapted to press against plate 71. The tightness of mirrorsu'pport 76 on plate 71 may be controlled or adjusted to permit mirror adjustment. 7 v

I It is understood that mirror 70 will be adjusted to the position where light received from second mirror 66 will in turn be reflected'toscreen 28. As a rule, once mirror 70 has been properly adjusted, no further changes are necessary.

Means are provided for focusing the image. This means consists of lensv 80 disposed in the light path between mirrors 60 and '66. Lens 80 is carried in a suitable barrel threadedly supported on bracket 82 at the front of housing 316..v Adjusting knob 83 is coupled to the lens so that by turning knob 83, the position of the lens in, the barrel may beadjusted and the image on the film may be properly focused. Knob 83. has a sufficiently large diameter so that a portion thereof is accessible through an opening infront panel 23. j

'Front panel 23is provided with slot 86 through which 46 may feed after projection. Front panel 23" has opening 87 which gives access 'to the film entrance to gate 45. Opening 87 is provided with film roll support 88. This may consist of 'a wire clip to hold the'roll in posi- It is understood that the leading portion of the alerts fed thioughthegate manually and en t e rward end has passed sprockets 48 and 49, the film may be pulled or fed through and properly framed for operation. 1

Front panel 23 is provided with opening 90 giving access to a phonograph turntable. Suitably supported on base 11 is a phonograph driving motor and turntable 91. Turntable 91 has dome shaped centering member 92 so that disc record 94 may be easily passed through opening 90 and disposed in proper position upon the turntable. Supported from suitable bracket 96 (Figure 6) is fixture 97 carrying pivot pin 98. Fixture 97 includes two rigid clamping portions between which extends flexible support strip 970. Sleeve 99 is disposed around the pivot pin and supports tonearm 100. Tone arm 109 is provided with extension 102 having offset handle portion 103 which projects through window 104 in the panel. Window 104- is so shaped as to provide offset portion 105 for locking thetone arm in an elevated position. Finger piece 103 may be moved to the main portion of window 104, this permitting the tone arm to drop into playing position.

In order to prevent record 94 from being pushed against the elevated stylus and damaging the stylus, strip 106 may be disposed upon the inside of panel 23 and so shaped as to guide the 'disc record into correct playing position.

It is understood that the cabinet contains suitable amplifiers and speaker for reproducing a record. The 'arnplifiers and speaker may be housed in a suitable portion of the cabinet and mayfor example be disposed within housing 100.

It will be seen that "a compact and convenient strip film projector and record reproducing means have been provided. It is possible to provide magnetic record reproducing means iustead of the disc record reproducing means. However theImachine illustrated is easy to setup and use and may be repacked after use with minimum time and eii'ort.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable self-contained projector comprising a carrying case 'having bottom, sides and rear walls and front panel in the normal position of use, a cover for closing the case and extending between the rear wall and front panel, a viewing screen, said screen and cover interlocking when inviewing position to provide a generally inverted V with the screen extending upwardly from above the front panel, the inverted V being firmly positioned along the rear wall and front panel of the case, a lamp'housing between the front panel and rear wall on said bottom adjacent one side wall, said bottom having a ventilating grille below said lamp housing so that air canpass upwardly through the grille into said housing, said lamp housing being open at the top, said lamp housing containing a projection lamp therein, a film gate supported in said case behind the front panel of said case and disposed adjacent said one side wall, a condensing lens system disposed between said lamp and said gate for directing light upon said gate, said light path extending from the lamp within said housing adjacent to and parallel to said one side wall toward the front panel of said case, a pair of mirrors carried by said'case for laterally oifsetting and reversing the direction of travel of the light, one mirror being located in a corner adjacent the junction of the front panel and said one side wall, the other mirror being located behind the front panel and laterally offset from the one side wall less than half the distance between the opposing side walls of the case, a focusing'lens system disposed behind the front panel between the two mirrors, said two mirrors being so arranged that light emerging fromthe film gate falls upon the first mirror and is reflected in a path generally parallel to the front panel, the second mirror refiecting'the'lightalong'a path extending generally toward the center part of the rear wall of the case, a third niirr'or' carried nysaiw rear wall at-the centralportion thereof for receiving the light beam from the second mlrror, said third mirror reflecting the light along an upwardly tilted path which is generally equidistant from the side Walls to strike the viewing screen, when said cover and screen are in normal position of use for projectlon, said second mirror being substantially closer to the exit end of the focusing lens system than to the third mirror, said first and second mirrors being substantially smaller than the third mirror, said projector system as a whole having a short direct ventilating path for air from the grille up through the lamp housing and out of the case adjacent the one side wall, this ventilating air path being remote from the path of the light beam after said light leaves the lamp housing, the arrangement of parts in the case providing a substantially clear space in the case behind the front panel extending from the other side wall toward the second mirror and extending along said other side wall and also providing clear space at the rear of the lamp housing adjacent the one side wall, such clear spaces being usable for accessories such assound reproducing means whereby said case may be compact.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a unitary metal housing is provided for the lamp, the condensing lens system and the film gate, said housing hav ing a wall portion adjacent the one side wall of the case extending toward the front panel and being shaped to provide a support for said first mirror.

3. The construction according to claim 2 wherein means are provided for supporting the focusing lens system from said housing.

4. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said focusing lens system includes a rotatable member supporting the lenses, said rotatable member having a portion projecting through a slot in the front panel for ready adjustment.

5. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said film gate has the end portions for receiving and discharging film in vertically spaced relation, said case having slots for accommodating the film from both gate ends, said slots being at the front panel near the one side wall, said slots and film gate permitting handling of the film completely from the front panel.

6. The construction according to claim 1 wherein film advance means are provided adjacent the film gate, said film advance means including a framing adjustment, said framing adjustment including an elongated rod extending behind the front panel from one side wall to the other and having knobs accessible at each side wall for framing.

7. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a metallic housing including the lamp housing is provided, said metallic housing having means for supporting the condensing lens system and for supporting the film gate, a frame advance means carried in said housing adjacent said film gate, a side wall of said housing adjacent the one side wall of the case extending forwardly toward the front panel and providing a support for the first mirror, the opposing side wall of the housing carrying a bracket for supporting the focusing lens system, said focusing lens system support including a coarse screw thread for moving said focusing lens system along a line between the first two mirrors, said focusing lens system including a member having a part projecting through a slot in the front panel so that said lens system may be moved from outside of the front panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,868,722 Birdsall July 26, 1932 2,485,575 Deaver Oct. 25, 1949 2,485,709 Davock Oct. 25, 1949 2,525,552 Kingston Oct. 10, 1950 2,651,967 Thomas Sept. 15, 1953 2,666,358 Eash Jan. 19, 1954 2,762,256 Gottschalk Sept. 11, 1956 2,763,178 Gottschalk Sept. 18, 1956 

